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I dont have a clue but I would suggest that you email your concern to the US consulate or State Department rather than get misinformation from someone on this forum or anyother forum. Though I am sure the advise you would get would be with the best of intentions it still might be incorrect. Good luck.
I think it could be a valued addition for some members. While I have no need for myself I guess others may. I could also see it expand to short term rentals for those looking for a place to stay while visiting the US or finding a place to transition in while looking for the perfect next home for some. Heck you may even put two people together that want the best of both worlds they could share a home in both places sort of a longer term personal time share.
SO what are you trying to say after a good night sleep you are ready to agree there is some anti American sediment from a few on this forum
and none of us agree with them.And then there are the rest of us that have or are relocating out of the USA for our own personal reasons which have nothing to do with US policy or politics. And Yes God Bless America. And may God Bless what ever places we choose to relocate to. May we all live Pura Vida if we end up in Costa Rica.
Well Dwayne you won’t see me writing on here in defense of some of the things you have brought up posted by others. I won’t defend some of the things which you have written either. I have called others for their bashing of the US on this forum in the past and I am calling you on your comments as well. I disagree with you that Costa Rica is a piece of crap and you can’t justify your statement that it is because someone else slams the US. You have your opinions and others have theirs in some cases you are both incorrect. While San Francisco may have electric buses most fleet buses that are privately owned in the US use diesel fuel and some use gas as do most municipal buses use diesel. As I previously wrote and you so easily passed over NYC automobile operators take the right of way on the streets of Manhattan. The federal, state, and city infrastructures are in great need of repair which doesn’t change the roads in Costa Rica or their needs either. The one other issue I have a big problem with is you calling people who worked their entire lives useless. Unless you are aware of what each of these people do every day of their retired life how can you make this statement. Do you know if they are politically active, if they volunteer to help children or seniors, or if are just assisting a neighbor who can’t fend for themselves. Here you sit at your computer and find fault with Costa Rica and the Tico people along with retired Americans and you do this in defense of the US and our constitution. I find that bizarre; recognize that there are people that don’t like America even American’s that don’t like America. Can you defend against this assault without finding fault with Costa Rica and find fault with those who are making the statements you disagree with.
My head isn’t in the sand I see what is right and what is wrong with Costa Rica in my own opinion. Tell where in the US I can find a live in housekeeper (which I need due to my disability) for 200.00 or so dollars a month. I could go on and on with the reasons for my relocation to this beautiful democratic country but, they are my reasons and none of them have to do with issues with the US.
I reread many of the posts in this string and I am still amazed while I read the words of a few who are anti American Americans and couldn’t find an original thought if they had to. Then we have the Pro American Americans who take the stance my country right or wrong who will try to defend her honor by dishonoring her with showing how the educational system failed to educate them. Then we get to the intelligent people who chose to relocate to Costa Rica and make valid arguments for their choices without condemning everything American.
I still don’t get it can’t someone move out of the US for economic reasons and love both countries. Or relocate for health reasons, because of their love of the weather, their love of the lifestyle, or their love of whatever. Leaving the US doesn’t make one a traitor in fact one may leave the US stay in touch what is happening in their Country of citizenship and continue to vote for the things they believe in. I understand a person getting affected when someone slanders or defames their homeland whether they share the same citizenship or not. I relate to someone getting very excited and even losing their cool in defense of themselves, their family or their country. But I don’t understand knocking the country that the person has moved to that is bashing your country. It is almost infantile and childish at best reminds me of middle school where children rank out each others mothers or clothes with that tit for tat response. Are you not evolved enough to make an argument without stooping to name calling. I remember being told that people yell or use profanity when their vocabulary doesn’t have enough ammunition to carry a conversation or argument without yelling, name calling or profanity.
Whether you are a Democrat, Republican or have any other political affiliation; we all have to be honest enough to say the US isn’t perfect nor are our leaders. Whether you approve of our political direction or not you have the power to change things with your vote. You have the freedom to protest or to disagree with our leaders in most ways. Many people gave their lives to preserve these rights and many more are still giving their lives to keep you safe and free. I still don’t know if this is the forum to have this argument but it appears Scott Oliver is allowing it to continue. I guess because it is a major issue on the minds on his members.
What bugs me the most these days is hearing how our freedoms and rights are being taken away. The government can only do what we allow them to do. We have the true power with our vote. Unfortunately in my opinion most Americans don’t have a clue what the truth is or how to utilize their vote. Most Americans don’t understand politics they believe what the press tells them. How many of you have voted for someone without looking into their complete record how many of you know how your elected official voted on most if not every issue. Or do you listen to the advertisements they put out and take the word of your newspaper or TV news broadcast. Have you ever read through a bill that was up for a vote to know everything that is attached to it? I know very few of you will admit that you have never done any of the aforementioned.
We are living in very dangerous times now whether you want to believe it or not. Whether you believe that your government is using terrorism to scare you into waving your rights or believe that terrorism is a real threat. It is a very real threat not just to Americans or America but the entire world. We are caught in a conflict between the sane and the insane beliefs of a very few fanatics. But these fanatics are willing to die or kill for their beliefs. This is not a new war it has been ongoing for thousands of years. It just recently has found its way into our back yard. We can argue how much has our foreign policy fueled this threat and the answers will differ depending on who is asked. Reality is while our foreign policy has made many mistakes it is the fanatics that bring this threat to us our foreign policies just add fuel to the fire. It brings more converts or fence sitters into the ranks of the nuts. The other threats we face with Sovereign nations are the doing of our foreign policies or theirs but those threats will work themselves out through time and change. Let’s remember since 1812 the US has only been attacked on December 7th 1941 and September 11th 2001 and the chances of being attacked again by a Sovereign nation are unlikely.
And then I read how Costa Rica a 3rd world country has poor roads and sidewalks or the exhaust issues. I almost laugh mainly because this small third world country has instituted clean air regulations including limits on auto exhaust. Yes the roads are in need of repair but so is a lot of the infrastructure in many US States. To read a statements as stupid as “most of the Costa Rican people will rob you blind & retired people are useless” Well Sir there isn’t a country I know of where a majority of its population aren’t honest good people. As far as retired people being useless, how about they worked their entire lives for their retirement. So I must inform you they have earned their right to enjoy their lives. They may have served 20 years in the military or putting their lives on the line as police or fire fighters. How dare you call them useless. Where and how they choose to live out their lives is the right that they earned. I have no idea where you live or where you have traveled in the US but I take it you have never been in Manhattan where buses spew smoke and autos take the right of way.
As I wrote previously ignorance is scary. All of you legal scholars take note The First Amendment Guarantees Freedom of Speech in the US Constitution The 5th Amendment Guarantees Due Process in the law as well as several issues in regard to one’s legal rights within the United States. Not that I am a constitutional expert I just know fact from Rhetoric. So Scott you are still OK under the 5th amendment. And you may plead the fifth on all other accusations. I would suggest that anyone who said you should read this 200 + year old document read it first and become familiar with it before quoting it incorrectly to you. Not that I believe you needed my help defending your position. I KEEP BEING REMINDED OF THAT GREAT US PRESIDENT ABE LINCOLN’S WORDS “IT IS BETTER TO BE SILENT AND THOUGHT A FOOL THAN SPEAK AND REMOVE ALL DOUBT” OR IN THIS CASE TYPE
Edited on Jan 19, 2007 16:12
Wow I hadn’t been reading the forum for 24 hours and it looks like we are at war. Allow me to jump in here a moment and try to bring some peace to the table.
As anyone who as ever read any of my posts can tell I support the USA 100% while also being in love with the lifestyle and people of Costa Rica. The ignorance being spouted here is amazing I could change the geographics to living in NYC vs California and would get similar arguments. Why not take note that we are talking about personal preference about where one may choose to want to live. The choice does not require bashing either place.
NOW I AM THE VERY PROUD PARENT OF A US MARINE STATIONED IN JAPAN DEPLOYED IN THE MIDDLE EAST. My son chose to enlist he wasn’t drafted as many baby boomers may have been. His choice was made because he felt he is an American citizen wanted to defend his country. I have no issue with any American who wishes to give up their citizenship or maintain it. I have no issue with anyone who wishes to live out their life in the USA or Costa Rica. I have no issue with anyone who wants to try something different and then decides its not for them and returns to the US or decides they made a good choice for themselves and wants to remain in their new home in a foriegn country.
Costa Rica is a beautiful country with beautiful people and knocking it doesn’t make the US a better place just as knocking the US doesn’t make Costa Rica a better place. Get real they are different and have different things to offer indivisuals and the world. Whatever your thoughts are they are your thoughts just as opinions are opinions Facts are Facts however. I haven’t read a whole lot of facts supporting most arguments I just read on here. This lack of use of facts has caused me to attack some people on here in the past and I refuse to do that again. This isn’t a political forum rather it is a place to come and learn about Costa Rica. If you don’t like Costa Rica why are you here find some politcal board and have at it. The same goes for all you haters of the USA this isn’t a political board for you to bash America or Americans get off here and go to a political site and have at it in fact I am certain there will be many more places to bash the US than you will find to bash Costa Rica. Now unless you are just on here to support your small minded thinking that you are some sort of expert into world politics and want to see your words here I suggest that you get back to the business at hand and use this forum to support the oppertunity for peeople to learn about Costa Rica ask and answer questions relevant to the subject matter and leave the country bashing to other places. I have used restraint not to single out anyone by name or to make this personal and it was easy for me to do so I chose to. You can choose to also.
Pura Vida and God Bless America
Thanks Bill and I agree with you 100% it just gets under my skin to read posts that aren’t in the spirit of assistance and promote racism or are an inacurate discription of an entire city and it’s residence. I actually should refrain from the personal attack but I take racism personal. I also take giving erronious information to support a position. Yet like I said I agree with you and should stay above the personal.
You are keeping up with my expectations of you maravilla; as you claim to know the parents that you refered to as “the rich yuppies”.
Pleeeeease get honest and then you avoid validating your other statements about areas you have never been to. And you say “people like me who think they know everything” I never claim to know anything other than what I know with first hand knowledge and I am specific in my words and examples. Unlike you who reference places she either only read about in a novel or saw in a movie.
Have no fear if I were to encounter you in a face to face conversation it would be an extremely short interaction because I don’t waste my time interacting with stupid people I would politely excuse myself shaking my bald head in disbelief being thankful to have gotten away from your racist nonsense as quickly as I could. If by chance I ended up your neighbor our first conversation would also be our last because there are so many decent people in Costa Rica why would I waste my time getting to know a loser such as you. Thankfully the average Costa Rican is well educated so it will be easy to recognize you in any crowd. Don’t take my word for it spend .25 cents and call all your friends. Do you buy your sheets at KK K-mart?
maravilla Don’t thank me for Black Hawk I had nothing to do with developing it. See you read but you don’t understand what the words say. I wrote I spent time in Black Hawk looking at a Casino to buy not develope. But That is just more of the ignorance that has come out of you onto this forum. I know nothing about you other than the words you place here and I have read you use the word minorities in negitive ways several times. I also read you reference urban areas and their minorities and the crimes they commit over and over. Just rhetoric from an ignorant racist with no first hand knowledge. Only someone with such a smalll mind would clasify Asian children as chinese adopted children. If you thought without prejudice you might have concluded that these children might be from Korea or Viet Nam or other countries with Asians,
I have driven I 70 I 40 I 44 all many times through St Louis and I have never experienced what you described. Granted I was driving the speed limit not speeding through in fear for my life. But we did share one thing in common I was driving a new luxury vehicle too.
The words I have Black friends have been used for years by racist and doesn’t hold much water. It’s OK you’re not an activist racist who wears sheets who does linchings or will burn a cross on a lawn. You are just someone ignorant who pidgeon holes people based on the color of their skin or their economic disadvantage. Then beyond ignorant you make stupid statements like judging an entire city based on a road trip in your new luxury car. By the way alphabet city has gone through a major change since you saw a movie with a description of it. Today it’s a yuppie neighborhood with condos that will sell faster than you home and for more money too. But again let’s not confuse facts with ignorant opinions. Where is Five Points in NYC do you have a clue or is that a place you saw in Gangs of New York. That has also changed in the past couple of hundred years. The saddest thing is as you respond you go from sounding ignorant to just plain paranoid and stupid. But hey you have made contributions to our culture. What Culture are you referencing I know it’s not the Afro American culture. I hope you can get my point and educate yourself to the errors of your words and maybe even open up your mind in the process.
I don’t qualify for the St Louis division of WLCR, I spent 5 days a week there for about a year a few years ago while I was overseeing the construction of Ameristar St Charles Casino. But I had to defend St Louis’ integrity because I met some super people there and also just enjoyed the Greater St Louis Area.
I actually had an apt. about 15 miles east of you NamVet in Ofallon MO.
Having been born and raised in NYC and I lived in several areas throughout the US I was exposed to many different people and cultures. Through this exposure I learned; as much as we are different, we are also the same. I also learned ignorance is what drives prejudice and racism two things I truly hate.
We have very similiar reasons for relocating to Costa Rica. I too want to enjoy this period of my life with peace and tranquility. I know Costa Rica isn’t Nirvana but as I remember Scott Oliver writing when we love a woman we love her with all her faults. Thus the same are my feelings about Costa Rica she may not be perfect but I love her.
There is no heaven here on earth and as we are all individuals what may be good for one doesn’t have to work for the other some people will never leave their homeland’s others may leave to live on a beach, a city, country living whatever blows a persons hair back except mine I am bald. I do know what I want and where I want it but that doesn’t give me the right to be critical of all other places on earth or in the US.
I could keep typing and repeating what I wrote here or in other places on this board my opinions haven’t changed and they won’t. They won’t because my opinions are based on first hand knowledge in the things I comment about. I have even spent time in the area where maravilla lives purchasing a casino in the mountains (Black Hawk) outside of Denver CO. I wasn’t all that impressed with the people there.
Actually there are only a few places I truly enjoyed knowing new people the midwest US, (St Louis, Detroit area) Costa Rica the other. I wish you the tranquility we both seek living in Costa Rica.
I have to agree with Scott Oliver, Alfred and Larrypaul. The market seems to be worsening, it is driven by supply and demand, the local economy, area job growth and another driving factor is interest rates.
If people want to sell their homes in this market; price it in accordance with the current comps sit back and relax. What once took a week to sell is now taking 6-9 months.
The other good advice that was given here; is be creative with your marketing be it following one of these examples that were given paying for closing costs or salesperson bonus.
Another option is to refinance your current home with a 30 year fixed mortgage if the rental market is strong in your area and you have sufficient equity in your home. Then lease out your house without negative cash flow until the resale market rebounds. The one definate in real estate is given enough time all markets rebound. While that would be the last option I would take just to avoid having to deal with renters.
maravilla: time for me to question you again. How can you judge St Louis as a horrible place having driven through it as fast as you could. Had you stopped you might have been enlightened. If you had gone to an area called the Hill you might have enjoyed one of the best Italian meals, if you stopped at the St Louis science center or the zoo you may have enjoyed a day of education. If you stopped at the arch and walked through the museum you would have learned about our move to the West. If you smiled at a minority person you might have made a friend. Isn’t the mountains region outside of Denver where Columbine is located home of the worst school massacres in US history carried out by the white middle class neighbors of yours. What I hate more than crime is stupidity ignorance and Racism.
I dislike making this personal it’s just the words you chose cut into me and my knowledge of St Louis and many of the beautiful people living there tells me a different story. Black Brown or poor doesn’t make one a criminal. Take note maybe 1-2 % of people are criminals no mater what their race. They cause 99% of all crime.Bradbard: thank you for documenting supporting evidence that the words in my post are real in regard to US housing. It’s criminal what was done to the American homeowner and wait till we have banks going defunct in record numbers along with those who over inflated their incomes on mortgages. An entire industry was created called mortgage brokering; every former and future used car salesman found a new trade for their skills. These under educated serpents with a lack of morals or hearts taught honest people how to get financing at unbelievable repayments it was hard for many to refuse. But remember the old saying if it seems too good it usually is and thus it was.
I am thankful I resisted all the attempts to refinance and to buy long term real estate investments as well as financed up to the roof second and third homes. I am one of the lucky ones that lived in Las Vegas at the beginning of this false boom and had the financial ability to buy 5 investment properties over my dwelling all of which I sold at a 125% increase over the purchased prices in January of 2004. My residence sold in less than 24 hours at a price 10,000 over my asking price which beat the comps in my neighborhood of Summerlin. The other homes I sold I wasn’t as lucky they took at best 36 hours and at worst a week all selling for over the listed prices also. I then signed a 2 year lease on the rental home I currently reside in at 500.00 per month less than my payments were for my primary home. Was I the man with the crystal ball or the smartest man in America; neither is true, what helped me avoid getting caught in staying too long was my knowledge that these non custom built track homes were not worth what they were selling for. In my opinion in fact only worth 1/2 of the value being placed on them so I sold them all. I then chose not to reinvest back into a market I saw as inflated and took my profits to the bank. I chose to rent because I knew I wanted to relocate out of Las Vegas and didn’t want to be tied to having to sell anything.
I figured the two years I had on my lease would be sufficient for me to decide on where I wanted to relocate to, although Costa Rica was always top on my list. Unfortunately for me I became disabled within four months which put a damper on my plans or at least delayed them while I sorted out the medical treatment options to identify what I would face long term. Thankfully I now understand all of my medical options and I am settled with I will live out my life with a livable level of pain. Now I am back to where am I going to live out my days and Costa Rica is where I decided based on my feelings which coincide with the name of this site “I” love Costa Rica along with the we of this sites membership. Now I almost struggle with will my investment in my new home be secure because of the US housing bubble bursting. I reconcile this with an I don’t care I am not buying my primary home with an investor’s thought process. While I hope the home increases in value or at least doesn’t lose a great deal of money I am buying the home I feel I will be happiest in during the balance of my years on earth and my children will have to worry about whether they can sell it and at what price. Since it is being purchased in cash I am not concerned with what happens to interest rates either. My homework has been done I know the central valley of Costa Rica is where I will be happy living out the twilight of my years. I’ve narrowed the choices of condos to places I will be able to navigate from and around when I am no longer able to drive, that offers me the security I feel safe with and, neighbors I can relate with. Still my ego messes with my plan if I allow it to and I then over analyze the local and world market I then tell myself, rent watch to see what happens over the next few years. If I do that maybe, I will save some money or maybe I will have to pay more, in the end I ask myself what’s the difference. Do I need to be right or do I want to be happy? I choose the later I prefer to be happy and you can’t place a price on happiness. So bite the bullet buy where you can afford in the place that brings you happiness as I am.
Edited on Jan 16, 2007 19:47
Dear Scottbenson and maravilla with all due respect: First Scottebenson when you address my post and state I should speak for myself; I always speak for myself I never say according to my wife or my wife’s family. More importantly I did not say some people won’t see a profit; if they didn’t upgrade into a more expensive home within the last 5 years or so they will still see an excellent profit on selling a home they bought years ago. Next the housing bubble is very real as you can do your own research into. The biggest issue is the manor in which people financed or refinanced their homes with variable rate mortgages as just one example.
Now maravilla: I know what the current Social Security Regulations state and what their motivations are behind them as it is in regard to what I previously posted. I wrote what I posted in response to Scott Oliver posting about the US trying to eventually keep its citizens and their money in the US. All I was saying they have a quick and easy fix for retired people. I don’t believe there is any chance this will happen any time soon. However, if Mr Scott Oliver is correct in his post I won’t be surprised if it does occur.
In an attempt not to have to defend my posts in the future please use the education you should have to read and comprehend what I write and the spirit it is writen in before attacking it with either a personal “speak for yourself or with correcting a speculation with a current fact that has no bearing on the words writen. Thank you in advance for adhering to my simple sarcastic yet accurate reply!!!
